Fort McMurray wildfire spreads to 1.25 million acres but front line moves away from critical infrastructure

CALGARY, Alberta—The threat from forest fires in northern Alberta receded further on Thursday with the blazes moving away from oil-sands production facilities and a nearby evacuated town as cooler, wetter weather aided firefighting efforts, provincial officials said.

The out-of-control wildfire spread to more than 1.25 million acres, up from just over one million acres on Wednesday, but the front line moved away from critical infrastructure to a remote area on the border of neighboring Saskatchewan province, the officials...

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Fort McMurray: A Look at One Fire-Ravaged Block

WSJ reporter Chester Dawson got a firsthand look at the devastation in Fort McMurray since a fire swept through on May 3, forcing the hasty evacuation of 80,000 residents. Here’s a comparison of images of one block from 2013 and today. Image: Google Maps and Chester Dawson/The Wall Street Journal